Spring Cleaning
by Darien Fawkes
Summary: Mentor Ji gives the Rangers a huge task at the Shiba House.  Incorporates slight re-imagining of "Team Spirit"
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** OK folks, I know it's been a while since I wrote anything, I've been distracted by a massive spring-clean at home. Still, it's inspired a little story that may or may not extend into the next ep. Hope you all like it.

**Legal: **I do not own Power Rangers or the associated names, places, events etc. Everything else should be presumed to be purely the creation of the author.

The Rangers were amazingly upbeat as they made their way into the training yard in the morning. Since Kevin and Antonio had found a way to accept each other, even if they were not, as yet, in any danger of becoming best friends or anything, it definitely made things much easier and a lot more pleasant around the Shiba House. Antonio was regaling them with yet another tale from his travels around the country.

As they arrived at the mats, they found Mentor Ji standing there waiting, a large smile on his face.

"You all seem full of energy this morning." He commented. "I trust you are all well."

"Better than that, we're all super pumped!" Mike rushed out, throwing out a short burst of attacks, ending with a jumping spin kick in an impressive display to demonstrate the point. "We were all up early, and felt so pumped, we all joined Kevin on his morning run."

"I'm glad to hear you are all feeling so energetic, because I have some very special training for you all today." He replied. Antonio went to the racks, reaching for his wooden tanto, only for Mentor Ji to place his cane upon it. "You will not be needing those today."

"Unarmed combat!" Mike replied with a huge grin, becoming a little excited. "This day just gets better and better!"

"No, you will be armed. Indeed today, I would have you train with new weapons."

There was a slight shuffling among the Rangers, and they smiled at each other, becoming excited. They were going to be training with new weapons? None of them had taken up a new weapon in years. They had all trained with katana since before they had reached the age of ten, and with their individual weapons since they were sixteen. Perhaps Mentor Ji had found some new armaments to help them in their battle with the Nighlock. Mentor Ji waved them over to a small shed in the corner. "Emily, step forward."

The Yellow Ranger came forward, beaming at him brightly, holding out her hand expectantly. Her smile faded as Mentor Ji placed a mop in her hand. As she looked at it in disgust, he placed a bucket in the other hand.

As the Rangers looked confused, he brought out more tools, handing a broom and a duster to Mike and a toolbox to Kevin.

"I don't understand." Kevin commented.

"A fact that is clear given the shameful state of the dojo." He replied. The Rangers just looked at him curiously. "I know it is now summer, and we have spent most of our days out in the training yard. However, that has meant you have allowed the dojo to fall into a state unbefitting of a training ground. Indeed, I would go so far as to say it is unfit even of housing cattle."

They had to admit that it had been a while since they had been in the dojo, but surely it couldn't have been that bad.

He led them over to the dojo, where he threw the doors open. The Rangers all stood open-mouthed as they saw the horrors within. Dirty and broken training equipment was abandoned all around the place. Other items that had no earthly business being in there such as books and magazines were dumped all over the place, and a pile of linen the height of a small child was just thrown in the corner. Every surface was thick with dust, and the floors, what little of them could be seen, were covered in dirty footprints.

"It sickens me to see this place of honour reduced to a common attic." He told them harshly. "I expect it back to his original state by the end of the day. Barring a Gap Sensor alarm, none of you are permitted to leave or rest until the task is complete."

"Uh...Mentor?" Antonio said, raising his hand. "Can I just point out that I wasn't here when this mess was made?"

"Oh really?" Mentor Ji asked, before turning him to see his fish cart. Antonio realised that seeing it, he had mistaken this place for a storage shed and put his fish cart there for safe keeping. "Besides, part of being a Samurai is being a team. You share in each others' glories, and also in your shames. Your team made this mess, you can all clean it up."

"I guess I see your point." Antonio sighed, realising the old Mentor's mind had been made up, and was not to be swayed.

"Firstly, I want everything out of there to create a clear working space." He barked with authority. "Mike, Emily, you are to clean the building from top to bottom. Every surface is to be dusted, swept and mopped. Once everything is clean, I expect the walls to be re-painted and the floors re-varnished, two coats."

He went to Mia and Kevin next.

"Once this...garbage is out in the training yard, I expect you to sort it into piles; training equipment that is fit for purpose to be returned to the dojo, items that are broken and to be repaired, items too broken to be repaired, items for the laundry and items that have no business being in the dojo. From there, I expect everything to be cleaned and repaired, ready to return to the dojo. Anything that does not belong, I expect you to put in the rooms of their respective owners for them to deal with.

He went to Jayden and Antonio next.

"I want you two to do the laundry." He told them. "Training uniforms and towels simply discarded here to fester, I expect all to be cleaned, pressed, and returned to the rooms of their rightful owners. I expect you all to be finished by the end of the day."

"The end of the day?" They chorused incredulously.

"But...this looks like a weeks' work!" Mike shrieked.

"Did I mention that once you are finished with the dojo, I will inspect it?" He asked. "If it is not completed to my satisfaction, you will begin again. Once you are finished, I will expect you to deal with your own possessions. I will not have my house fall into the same sickening state as this...pigsty!"

"You're right Ji." Jayden sighed. "I guess we have kind of taken this place and the good weather for granted."

"This is a place of honour." He reminded them. "It should be treated as such."

"But...it'll take ages..."

"Then I suggest you stop whining and get on with it." Mentor Ji interrupted Mike. "The sooner you begin, the sooner you may rest."

With that, he turned around and left the dojo, leaving the Rangers to the seemingly endless and impossible task. Kevin sighed as he looked around at all the junk.

"Has it really been this long since we used this place?" He asked.

"We've been training outside for the last few weeks." Mia reminded him. "I guess in that time, we just neglected this place."

"Mentor Ji's right, we're not always going to be training outside." Jayden reminded them. "Besides, we really should treat it with more respect. Our training is what keeps us sharp and keeps us safe in battle. Without this stuff, we wouldn't be able to train."

"I can't believe we let it get this bad." Emily said, a note of shame in her voice. "I mean, I know some of this mess at least is mine. I can't claim to be innocent."

"None of us can." Jayden replied, making his way to a box of stuff and picking it up. "Come on guys, let's get this stuff out in the yard. Maybe then we can see how big this job really is."

Mentor Ji meanwhile went into his private study, where he had been studying and translating the fragment of the scroll that Kevin had taken from Octoroo. He turned his cell phone and dialled.

"I was beginning to think you didn't love me." The voice on the other end stated. "I've been here for an hour."

"You read the file I transferred you?" He asked the agent.

"Yeah, I did." The agent replied. "I got here on the first train."

"I am sorry, but there was no one else I could trust with this mission." He replied. "Go to the lost and found desk. Ask for a brown and gold Dolce and Gabbana bag. Tell them it contains a wallet containing three credit cards, an American Express, a Visa, and a Diner's Club in the name of Julia Sherman. In it, you will find the next step."

The agent hung up, before going to the lost and found desk. After a quick conversation with the guy there, she acquired the bag. She had a feeling that one of Mentor Ji's agents had left it there so that she could collect the instructions for the next step of the mission. Opening the bag and checking the contents, the agent found that as well as the wallet, the bag also contained a key that she recognised as a locker key. It was for one of the lockers in the train station.

"Locker 103." The agent sighed, heading to the lockers and searching for the appropriate one, before dialling Mentor Ji back.

"OK, I'm here." The agent assured him.

"Open the locker." Mentor Ji told the agent. "Inside, you will find the equipment you will need."

The agent reached inside, pulling out an envelope, and read the instructions inside. Memorising the details, the agent pulled out a lighter and burned the documents. Mentor Ji didn't need to explain it was important that there was no way anyone could follow. The next item was somewhat curious, it was a kind of leather forearm guard, slim enough that it would fit under the sleeve without being noticed.

"What's this?" The agent asked.

"You didn't expect me to leave you...how would Mike put it...sucking wind did you?" He asked her. "I believe walking around with a katana would be a little conspicuous, but at least this way you are not completely unarmed."

The agent pulled up a sleeve and strapped on the guard, before sliding down the sleeve.

"Flex your wrist." He instructed the agent. Doing as instructed, the agent quickly hid the eighteen inch blade that sprung out, before figuring out how to retract it.

"A little warning would have been good." The agent said sarcastically. "What the heck is this?"

"It's a carbon-fibre and Kevlar blended composite blade. As strong as steel, but it won't set off metal detectors." He instructed the agent. "You know the first location. Good luck Serena."

"Yeah, because saying that really makes me feel so confident." Serena replied sarcastically as she hung up and went on her way.

Back at the Shiba House, Emily, Antonio, Mike and Jayden were just bringing the last of the junk out of the dojo into the training yard, where Mia and Kevin were sorting it into piles, organising it into what needed to be done with it all. Jayden finished by putting a mannequin down by a pile of training equipment.

"Well, that's the last of it." Jayden stated as he looked around at it all. "At least now we have a better idea what we're up against."

"How did all this junk get in there?" Mike asked. Mia just looked to him disbelievingly, holding up a Prima strategy guide for Assassin's Creed Brotherhood. "Hey, I've been looking for that for ages!"

"A towel here, a magazine there, I guess it all adds up." She commented as she picked up a broken shinai, throwing it onto a pile of broken equipment.

"It took us almost two hours to get all this stuff out here." Emily moaned.

"Well, standing around complaining about it isn't going to help." Jayden sighed, picking up some of the pile of laundry. "Come on Antonio, the laundry awaits."

"Dios Mio, this stuff stinks." Antonio said with a little smirk as he picked some up. "A little longer and the mould would make all of this stuff look like it belongs to Mike."

"You can't really talk about anyone stinking fish boy." Jaden chuckled, throwing a towel over his head playfully. "Come on, the sooner we start, the sooner we finish."

With that, he left. Mike handed Mike a mop and bucket, as he picked up a couple of dusters and a broom.

"Come on Emily, the sooner we finish this, the sooner we can start painting." He declared.

"Yippee!" She replied sarcastically, waving her mop in the air as they headed into the dojo. Kevin went to the pile of broken equipment and started to inspect it to see what was broken beyond repair and had to be thrown out, and what could be repaired.

"You know, thinking about it, this is kind of nice." Kevin commented. Mia just gave him a little smile as she started sorting anything that wasn't training equipment into piles, ready to be returned to the rooms of the rightful owners. It turned out that there was a surprising number of books and magazines in there, obviously some people used the dojo as a quiet space for reading and never got round to taking their stuff with them when they left. Antonio's cart was a pile all by itself since he hadn't really been at the Shiba House long enough to get into the bad habit of using it as storage, but the others, it was quickly becoming clear that they had all been abusing the training space at times.

"Only you could possibly think this was nice." She replied with a little smile. "Games magazines…God, how long did Mike spend in here?"

"We all kind of abused it." Kevin conceded as he picked up a shinai and inspected it, deciding that it was broken beyond repair, and that using it would only be a danger. He discarded it. "At least we get to work outside."

"I guess that's true." She replied. "The thought of all that laundry really doesn't do it for me."

"No, but I guess I know what does." Kevin replied as he snatched a magazine out her hands.

"Hey!" She shrieked as she started o chase after him.

"Modern Bride magazine?" He teased her. "Should I be getting worried?"

"Kevin, give it back!" She called out as he started to run around, keeping it out of reach.

"I mean, aren't you meant to wait to be asked first?" He asked her. "I guess I'm flattered…"

"Look at the date genius!" She told him. "It's from before we even got together, I like the pictures, now give it back!"

"Make me." He taunted her. Mia grabbed him and pulled him in sharply, wrapping an arm around behind his head and drawing him into a long kiss. Kevin lost himself for a moment and didn't notice her reaching until she snatched the magazine from his hand and return to her work, leaving him hanging. "Hey, that's not fair!"

"Neither is teasing the girlfriend." Mia replied, placing the magazine in her pile before returning to work. "Deal with it."

Kevin just went back to the broken training equipment to continue working, wondering how exactly he was meant to concentrate after that.

In the laundry, Jayden was separating out the pile into training uniforms and towels, hoping initially that he would get the job done in two loads, but quickly realising that was something of a vain hope.

"Alright, I found the soap powder and the fabric softener." Antonio announced as he arrived back, finding Jayden with the two piles. "Wow, this is going to take a while."

"You think?" Jayden asked him sarcastically. "I guess the easiest way would be to iron between loads."

"I guess so." Antonio replied as he saw Jayden load the first batch of uniforms into the machine. He shook his head in disbelief. "You really are clueless aren't you?"

"What?" Jayden asked him.

"Unless you want more than one Pink Ranger, you have to separate out the reds." He chuckled, pulling the pile out of the machine. "Fortunately all your uniforms and towels should only be one load."

"Fortunately Mentor Ji has two washing machines." Jayden muttered as he helped Antonio. Mentor Ji had indeed invested in two large washing machines when he realised he was going to have enough laundry for a full team to deal with. "Even then it'll take all day."

Come on, the easiest way'll be to separate it out into colours." Antonio told him. "Then there's no danger of colour run."

Jayden just looked down to his pink t-shirt, and back to Antonio.

"Uh...I have kind of a bad relationship with laundry." He admitted.

"You're hopeless amigo." He laughed in response, putting an arm around Jayden. "Here, I'll show you what to do."


	2. Cleaning Can Be Fun

Mike and Emily were inside the dojo, hard at work cleaning it, knowing that they still had the decorating to look forward to. The Ape and Bear Zords were rushing around all the raised surfaces with dusters, while Mike swept up the dust and grime, and Emily used a shovel to scrape it up into a trash bag. It was a little bit of a shortcut to use the zords, but Mike had pointed out that while Mentor Ji hadn't said they could use them, he hadn't specifically forbidden them from using their zords either.

"That looks like the last of it." Mike commented as Emily shovelled the last of the dust into the bag. "I guess all we need to do is mop the floor and then we can get started."

"I guess maybe this won't take as long as I thought after all." She commented. "I guess we can help the others between coats while the paint and the varnish dry."

"I guess so." Mike said with a shrug. "Maybe this'll only take one day after all."

"I really hope so." She replied with a sigh as she picked up the bucket. Mike went with her to get some water and soap to mop the floors with. Mike went with her, hoping to find a second mop. "I'd really hate to still be doing this tomorrow. It's going to suck enough."

Mike was a little curious about what she had said. She had been a little up-and-down for a couple of days now, and it was only now that he realised that she was generally most quiet whenever the subject turned to the weekend. Tomorrow was Saturday.

"What happens tomorrow?" He asked her. "Or is that not the kind of thing a boyfriend's meant to ask?"

As they got to the kitchen, Emily started to run the tap into the bucket.

"I shouldn't say anything." She muttered. "It's just me being silly."

"Hey, if it's upsetting you, then I want to know about it." He assured her as he touched her shoulder softly. "You can tell me anything, you know that."

She looked around to make sure none of the others could hear, before looking into Mike's eyes. She knew she couldn't lie to him.

"OK, but you can't tell the others, we're busy enough as it is." She told him. "Tomorrow's my birthday."

"Your birthday?" Mike asked with a little smile. "I wish I'd known. Why didn't you tell me?"

"We're all always so busy with the Nighlocks, I didn't want anyone to make a fuss." She told him. "Also...it'll be the first birthday I've had away from home."

"Your parents and your sister won't be here." Mike said as the realisation washed over him. "Emily, I'm so sorry."

"It's OK, I knew things like this were going to be hard." She replied with a shrug. "Like I said, I'm just being silly."

"I don't think you are." Mike told her honestly, shutting off the tap as the bucket was filled. He grabbed a second mop and reached up to Emily's face. "Tell you what, let's get this finished as quick as we can. That way we can do something together before bedtime."

"Mike, I'm really not in the mood..."

"I was thinking just a DVD and some alone time." He assured her. "If you aren't in the mood for anything more, then at least let me do this much for you."

"Thanks, I'd really like that." Emily replied, drawing in and kissing him. "Thanks Mike."

"Well, let's get this floor mopped." He told her, leading her out towards the dojo. "The sooner the floor dries, the sooner we can paint."

Back in the laundry, Jayden was just pulling the first load out of one machine, the red uniforms and towels, while Antonio got out the blue load. They both knew that Jayden was pretty hopeless at laundry, and so he had set up the ironing board, ready to iron. He started to separate the loads out into uniforms and towels.

"This stuff's still damp." Jayden commented as he picked up a pair of trousers.

"The iron's hot enough, it'll dry them." Antonio assured him. "If you iron clothes while they're still a little damp, the creases iron out more easily."

"I guess I really am getting a master class in laundry." Jayden chuckled. "You'll make someone a lovely wife one day."

He quickly paused and looked alarmed as he realised what he had said. He turned to Antonio in a panic.

"Antonio, I'm sorry." He rushed out. "That wasn't a gay joke, I was just..."

"You worry too much amigo." Antonio laughed. "Seriously, I'd object more if you treated me differently because of it."

"So...how long...?"

"Since High School." Antonio interrupted him as he started to load Emily's stuff into one of the machines. "I guess there was always a part of me that knew, it was just then that I couldn't really deny it any longer."

"How did your dad take it?" Jayden asked him.

"He wasn't totally in love with the idea, but he accepted it." Antonio replied, continuing with the task at hand as Jayden started ironing. "We exchange holiday greetings and the like. It's been a while since I've seen him though."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Jayden said, thinking somewhat about the loss of his own father. While Antonio's situation wasn't exactly the same, since he knew his father was still around, and he could always go and visit him, he could tell that they weren't close by the way Antonio spoke of him.

"Don't be, we still get together occasionally to fish." Antonio told him with a smile. "It's one of the few things we always had in common. I had my first beer on dad's boat."

As they went back to their tasks, Jayden picked up a slightly damp towel, and got an idea. Winding it up, he turned and cracked it across the room, giving Antonio a painful rat-tail.

"Oh, we're playing that game are we?" Antonio asked, grabbing another towel. "Bring it on Red boy!"

With that, they started to rush around the room, chasing each other in a playful game as the washing machines started on the second load.

Kevin was almost finished repairing the last piece of equipment as Mia had finished sorting out the stuff into piles. There was an impressive pile of stuff to go out to the trash, which still had to be bagged up and taken to the curb.

"I guess this isn't taking as long as I thought." Mia commented as she watched Mike and Emily go into the dojo with mops. "I think in about another hour, we might be finished with this and able to help redecorate."

"I guess so." He answered. "It would go a whole lot quicker if we could use symbol power." Mia just looked at him a little shocked.

"I would have thought you out of all of us would have learned your lesson about abusing symbol power." She answered as she picked up the pile for her room. "It was days before we could use the Swordfish Zord again."

"It was just a joke." He assured her, though somewhat wishing it really wasn't. He wasn't looking forward to the task at hand. "You know, I'm getting pretty tired here, I guess cleaning up really is a good workout."

"Just don't say that around Mentor Ji." Mia giggled as she headed for the house. "He might just add it to our training regime."

She went in, heading to her room, beginning to put away the magazines she had left in the dojo in her dresser, when she noticed that Mentor Ji's study door was open slightly. She went over, but couldn't hear him in there.

"Mentor?" She asked. She opened the door, looking inside, finding no sign of him. "Mentor Ji?"

There was no sign of him. As she was about to leave, she noticed a piece of parchment on his table, together with some notes. She knew she really shouldn't, but something drew her to the parchment. It was the one Kevin and Antonio brought back from their battle with Octoroo, He had kind of fobbed them off about it, but by the looks of things, he was working hard to figure out what it said. Books were piled up around the desk in a manner far less organised than was habit for him. Looking to the parchment, it appeared to be written in symbol form, but none that she had ever seen. The notes appeared to be some form of attempt at translation.

Whatever it was, it seemed that Mentor Ji thought it was important. Hearing a noise, she quickly left the study, hoping not to be discovered in Mentor Ji's study. As she got outside, she found Kevin had just finished the last of the repairs.

"That should just about do it!" He announced. Mia just came over to him, picking up a pile of training gear and some tactical books, handing them to him.

"Then you can put this stuff away in your room." She told him, picking up the pile for Emily's dresser.

"Hey, you seem kind of out of it." Kevin commented. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah." She said half-heartedly. "Come on, the sooner we get this done, the sooner we all finish."

Back in the laundry, Jayden and Antonio had finally gotten back to work after their little game of rat-tail, just as the second load finished in the washing machine. Antonio unloaded Emily and Mia's loads, before shoving Mike's in.

"OK, maybe that little game was a bad idea." Jayden commented. "I haven't even started and you're on your last load."

"Is that your way of asking for help?" Antonio asked him. Jayden just looked at him a little sheepishly.

"Would you mind?" He asked. "A sword I can handle, a laundry? Not so much."

"You really are hopeless do you know that?" Antonio laughed as he found a second ironing board and iron. "Tell you what, why don't we make this a little more interesting?"

"How?" Jayden asked.

"You think I don't remember how competitive you are?" Antonio asked him. "I'll take Kevin's pile, you take yours. Let's make it a race."

"A race?" Jayden asked. "So what does the winner get?"

"How about...loser has to streak round the house?" Antonio asked him. Jayden just smirked.

"I hope you don't have any embarrassing tattoos." Jayden replied as he grabbed the iron. "You are so getting naked."

"Alright, on three." Antonio began. "One, two...three!"

With that, both Rangers began frantically working their irons, determined to ensure they were not the one who ended up having to run the gauntlet.

A little while later, Mia and Kevin arrived at the door of the dojo. They found Mike and Emily sitting outside, playing with their zords as a little treat to thank them for their help in cleaning up. Kevin just let out a little cough.

"Um...busy are we?" He asked them.

"We were just waiting on the floor drying." Mike assured him, turning to look at it. "Speaking of which, I think we might just be ready to go."

"We're pretty much done." Mia told them. "If you'd like, we can give you a hand once we get changed."

"That would be great." Mike said with a smile, putting his arm around Emily. He really was happy to know that they would hopefully be finished a little quicker, allowing him a little time with Emily ahead of her birthday. He had every intention of telling the others, thinking that despite her earlier assertions, perhaps a little fuss around her would perhaps take her mind off her family situation for a little while. He just needed to find a way to get the word out without her knowing. "Kevin, where's the painting stuff?"

"It's in the garage." He replied. Mike realised this was something of an opportunity to get out of earshot of Emily for a moment.

"Could you be a little more specific?" He asked. Kevin just sighed.

"I'll show you." He replied. "Mia, would you mind getting us some stuff to wear?"

"Huh?" Mike asked.

"You haven't painted before have you?" Emily asked with a little smirk. She had helped her family on the farm numerous times in her life, and that had included the occasional bit of painting and decorating. "Paint and varnish can splash. You need to wear old clothes you can throw away afterwards."

"I'll look something out for you both." Mia told them, kissing Kevin softly. "We'll be back once we've changed."

Kevin took Mike into the garage, taking him over to the shelving units. He just pointed.

"It's been sitting there in plain sight for months." Kevin stated. Mike just closed the door behind him.

"Kevin, I really need your help." Mike began, becoming a little excited at the prospect of doing something memorable for his girlfriend's first birthday without her family. "You won't believe what Emily told me!"

Meanwhile, in a city far away, Serena arrived at her first location, a motel in a somewhat less than admirable part of town. It wasn't like she was especially worried, even without the hidden blade weapon Mentor Ji had set her. She was an accomplished warrior in her own right, and while it became apparent that taking up the reins as the Yellow Ranger was not the path destiny had chosen for her, she was only too happy to take up the mission when Mentor Ji called her.

Arriving at the desk, she handed over the credit card and stated the name for the reservation he had made for her. The man tapped a few keys, pulling up the details.

"We have a package for you." He told her. Normally, this would seem a little odd, but Serena kind of expected it. She doubted Mentor Ji would leave her with only the hidden weapon for her mission. She took the package and her key, before making her way to the room.

The place was a little run down, but then she wasn't exactly expecting for them to spring for the local Hilton. Getting to her room, she closed the door behind her and closed over the blinds for privacy, before turning on the light and turning her attention to the package in her hands.

She tore it open, finding a black, leather belt with many pouches all around it, each containing some form of gadget or another. She honestly didn't know what any of this stuff was, but she reasoned that it had to be important if Mentor Ji had sent it. There were two envelopes inside, one that was unmarked, and another with the message "place in right ear" on it. Opening it, she found a small device she presumed to be some form of communications equipment. Placing it in, she heard it crackle into life, before a voice sounded.

"Serena?" It asked her. "You can speak, the earwig has an in-built microphone. I'll hear you like I'm standing right beside you."

"Well could you turn your mike down a little?" Serena asked with a pained expression on her face. "Jeez, you nearly blew my eardrum out."

"Sorry." The voice replied. "Is that better?"

"Much." Serena replied grumpily. "Who is this anyway?" She had to ask, the voice was female, and unfamiliar. Doing a mission for Mentor Ji was one thing, a stranger was quite another.

"Names aren't important." The woman answered. "In fact…"

"Mentor Ji's asking a lot. The least you can give me is something I can call you." Serena interrupted her. The woman on the other end fell silent for a moment.

"You can call me Hayley." She replied. "As you're no doubt aware, technology isn't exactly Mentor Ji's strong suit. He asked me to help you. IN the package, you'll find a laptop. It's programmed with your mission parameters."

Serena opened the laptop and switched it on, waiting while it booted up.

"The fingerpad has fingerprint recognition." Hayley told her. "Just tap it and it'll open the files you're looking for."

Serena did as she was told, and her face just fell as she saw what came up on screen.

"You're kidding right?" She asked.

"Now you know why I'm here." Hayley answered curtly. "Security will be tight, but we really need to see…"

"I get it, just…don't be shocked that I'm not exactly looking forward to this." She sighed. "Right, tell me what I need to know."


	3. A Sucky Birthday

It was getting late in the day. Mike and Emily were busy painting the panels of the dojo, while Mia and Mike were in the process of varnishing the woodwork for the first coat.

Mike couldn't take his eyes off Emily as he brushed on the first coat of paint. Even more than usual, he had his eyes on her. Although she acted all cute and suchlike, she wasn't exactly a kid, but tomorrow, she turned 18. He would never rush her, and he would never make her take a step she wasn't willing to take, but he would have to admit not being human before admitting that he hadn't considered taking the next step with her.

Emily glanced aside and saw him looking at her, and gave him a little smile.

"You're staring." She told him.

"Can you blame me?" He asked in response. SHe shifted a little playfully, looking at him.

She shifted a little closer, preparing to kiss him, but as she drew closer, she felt something rub against her forehead and nose. As she opened her eyes, and saw Mike with a paintbrush, she realised it was paint.

"Oh you are so dead!" She shrieked as he ran off laughing. She followed in close pursuit as Mike and Mia watched them.

"So how long before she catches him?" Mike asked.

"She's not had much sugar, and Mike's pretty motivated to distract her." Mia reminded him. "I reckon we've got about an hour or two."

The following day, Emily woke up with a smirk on her face. She had finally caught up with Mike on the roof of a church a few blocks away after a free-running session that would have made the Prince of Persia proud, and had held him in a clinch until he finally submitted. They had shared a long, soft kiss on the highest church spire in the city, before coming home.

As she woke up, she took a little look at her watch, remembering what she had been trying to avoid for so long. Today was her birthday, her 18th Birthday, and it was also the first Birthday she would be experiencing without her family. When Serena fell ill, the family all drew a lot closer, since no one was really sure how much longer she would be around, and they had already celebrated a couple of holidays in her bedroom, but when Enmily was sent away to take on the responsibility originally meant for Serena, she knew those days were gone. She had been sent away at a time that meant that many of the holidays were already past, but she always knew that one day, she would face the day she would face one alone. The fact the first one was also her Birthday was just a cruel coincidence.

She got up, and stretched out, but looking across, she saw that Mia was not in her bed. Indeed, as a whole, the house was incredibly quiet.

"Hello?" She asked weakly. There was no reply. She made her way out of the room, looking around. "Hello! Anyone?"

There was still no reply. Looking to the alarm clock, she realised it was a lot later than she normally woke up. It was almost 11:00AM. Someone had obviously not set the alarm for that morning.

"Have they all left without me?" She asked herself in a slightly hurt tone. "Hello?"

Meanwhile, in the newly cleaned and painted dojo, Mike was acting as lookout while the others set up decorations. Mia had deliberately switched off the alarm, knowing Kevin could sneak in and wake her quietly so that they could all be up in time to go to the nearest party store for supplies.

Jayden and Kevin had spent an hour making paper chains for the party, while Mia was painting banners. Mike on the other hand had been pretty guarded about what he was planning for her big day. Her 18th was a pretty big occasion, especially since she would not be with her family. Mike watched as she went out for a run on her own.

"She's gone." He told them. "Come on, finish up!"

"Why isn't Antonio helping with this?" Kevin moaned as he and Jayden started to set up paper chains. "He's meant to be on the team too."

"Emily loves bass." Mike reminded him. "He went to catch some for her birthday dinner."

"I have some ingredients for an awesome birthday cake." Mia announced proudly. Seeing the way the others all looked to her in horror, she just laughed. "I'm not serious guys, I ordered one from the bakery."

"She won't be gone long." Mike reminded them. "Come on, we need to get this ready."

Just then, the Gap Sensor sounded. Mike just groaned.

"Couldn't that have happened yesterday?" He moaned.

Meanwhile, Serena was standing on a rooftop, observing the comings and goings of the building before her. She still had the earwig with her, so she knew she wasn't alone.

"I know that at night there'll be less guards, but seriously, Fort Knox would be easier than this." She muttered. "Are you sure?"

"If we could get in another way, don't you think we would?" Hayley asked her. "This is the only way."

"So are you sure...?"

"Look, if I wanted to, I could make devices that could get you into the White House and unlock the launch codes." Hayley assured her. "We just need you to do it on the sly."

"I've lost a step or two, but I think I still have it." Serena replied.

"We know you do." Hayley answered. "Now, go back to your hotel room and get some rest. You go in after dark."

"Yes ma'am." Serena replied, before heading back to her motel room.

The Rangers arrived, finding the latest Nighlock boasting about something to do with eating. Mike struck him first, sending him flying.

"Dinner time's over for you Nighlock!" Jayden declared. Antonio sniggered.

"You so sound like a bad 80's action hero." He replied.

"I'll remember that when you fulfil your end of the bet." Jayden answered him. "Give it up Nighlock!"

"Not yet!" He roared. "I still need dessert!"

As the Rangers all attacked him, he split up into multiple balls, swarming around them and striking them all mercilessly.

"His parts are moving too fast." Antonio declared. "I'll take care of it!"

He leapt forward with his Baracuda Blade, lashing out, but with seemingly no effect. The Nighlock's parts simply moved so quickly that no one could land a blow, not even the Light Samurai. He ended up on the ground face-down as he was dashed down.

"Leave him alone!" Emily screamed, standing over him in a guarding position.

"Oh, you are so sweet, you'd be a perfect dessert." The Nighlock replied. "Open wide!"

Before Emily knew what was going on, the world faded into blackness. The last thing she felt before she blacked out completely was a pair of arms stopping her from hitting the ground.

"Emily!" Mike screamed as he saw his girlfriend fall into the arms of Antonio. "What have you done to her?"

"I've taken her spirit." The Nighlock replied. "Within 24 hours it'll be mine!"

"You don't have 24 hours!" Mike snarled. "You don't have 24 minutes!"

"Actually I do." The Nighlock replied. "You see, I'm going back to the Netherworld, where you can't follow, and I'm not coming back! Ta ta!"

With that, he disappeared. Mike launched into a frenzy, rushing at the gap he had disappeared into and hammered into it repeatedly.

"Mike, he's gone!" Jayden told him. "Mike!"

"Dude..."

Antonio's words were cut off as Mike launched him over in a shoulder throw, before continuing his attack. Kevin finally grabbed his wrist.

"Mike, he's gone." He reminded him. "Right now, we need to deal with Emily."

Mike wasn't happy with it, but he knew that right now there was nothing else he could do. The nighlock was gone, and so was Emily's spirit.

Later in the Shiba House, Mike couldn't be moved from Emily's side. Nothing anyone could say would move him. With the exception of essential bodily functions, he was right there with her.

He had lived his entire life not caring. There were many things in his life that had disappointed him, and many people that had turned their backs on him and disappointed him. He never dramatised it, but the fact was that there were very few people that Mike genuinely trusted, or that he placed any faith in. He had been let down a lot as a kid, and so he was more than a little cynical, but that was why Emily meant so much to him.

She was never cynical, or mistrustful. Sure, occasionally that meant she got sucked in once in a while by someone willing to prey on trust, but it was one of the things he genuinely loved about her. She could see things in people he couldn't. She could see that sometimes, it was worth trusting people.

"She's fading." Mentor Ji said sadly. "Without her spirit, I'm afraid the Nighlock is right. She will not last much longer."

"Yes she will." Mike replied, gripping his Samuraizer tightly. "I guarantee it!"

"Mike..."

Kevin was sent flying as Mike cast a symbol his way, dashing him into the wall. Jayden just held up a hand.

"I doubt any of us would suffer any less." He told them. "We have to let him vent."

"I think I know a way." Antonio answered. They all looked to him expectantly. "Come with me!"

In another part of town, Mike had completely lost it. He was standing in a town square with his Spin Sword in hand, occasionally smashing into stone.

"Come out and face me you coward!" He roared defiantly. "I don't care what happens to me, you can't have her!"

"Are you sure?" He heard a voice say behind him. He recognised it. It was Dekker. He swung around, only to find his stroke blocked by Urumasa. Dekker just smiled.

"Did you really think...?"

Mike threw a few more attacks, but Dekker fended them off before flicking his sword away and holding Urumasa to his throat. Mike just stared at him, his gaze burning through him.

"If you care as much for her as you say you do, you will listen." Dekker explained. "There are two ways for a human to enter the Netherworld."

"Tell me!" Mike snapped.

"The first is to give up your humanity, to give yourself willingly to being a Nighlock, and simply step through the gap."

"I'll do it!" Mike snapped. "Fine, as long as Emily..."

"You did not hear the other option." Dekker reminded him. "I can take you through, though as a mortal being, your time on the Sanzu River would be limited. You would only have one hour until you were trapped there forever."

Mike thought about it for a moment. Was there really another way? Dekker held out a hand.

"I can take you there, nothing more." He continued. "After that, whatever happens is up to you."

With that, Mike grabbed his hand, and they both disappeared.


	4. Goodbye Innocence

Mike and Dekker arrived in a bleak place, bathed in a red light.

"I have taken you as far as I can." Dekker sated. "You have one hour."

"So you're chickening out of a fight?" Mike asked him as he started to walk away. "I thought you were all about challenge."

"I am." Dekker replied. "If you get your girlfriend back, remind her what I said to the Gold Ranger."

"Antonio?" Mike asked. Antonio hadn't actually tod them he had spoken with Dekker. "What...?"

"She is strong, strong to a level I never anticipated. It had taken me a long time to recover from the injuries I suffered at her hands." He replied. "I want you to save her."

"Bacause...?"

"Once I am finished with the Red Ranger, she will be my next challenge." He answered. Mike could not answer, Dekker had taken him to the Netherworld, and he knew his time was short. "This is as far as I take you. Good fortune Green Ranger!"

Back in the mortal world, Serena was on the roof of a museum, looking through the skylight, watching the security staff on their patrols.

"OK, this is going to be seriously tricky." She commented. "There's no way I can examine..."

"Let me worry about that." Hayley replied. "I'll be looping the surveillance tapes from...now! Nothing you do will be on camera."

"So what about the guards?" Serena asked.

"Why do you think we asked you?" Hayley replied.

"I've spent months in bed!" Serena reminded her. "Fine, I'll do it, but no killing!"

"We never asked that of you." Hayley reminded her. "I'll kill the security systems as I agreed...all you have to do is deal with the guards."

In the Netherworld, Xandred was resting for once, completely obivious to what was going on around him as a result of the stupor created by his medicine. Mike climbed into the room, at which he saw Dayu enter.

"Not a word." He growled as he brought out his spin sword. "Or I slit his throat!"

"You really think it would be that easy?" She asked dismissively. "Master!"

Xandred awoke. And Mike found himself launched across the room by an unseen force. Xandred just glared at him.

"You are in the wrong place." Xandred stated.

"I'm putting down a challenge!" Mike answered. "I want Emily's spirit!"

"It's not happening!" Splitface declared. "I..."

"So you're a coward!" Mike roared. "I swear on my sword that our battle will be just between us."

Xandred nodded, appreciating the significance. Samurai too their oaths on their sword, the belief being that if they failed in their task, then their sword would fail them in battle. He just nodded.

"We will not interfere." He declared. "Go Multiface, show us your worth!"

Mike just pulled out his Spin Sword and waited for the attack.

The other Rangers arrived at the site of the last battle, looking fo any sign of Mike or the Nighlock, but they could find nothing. Dekker arrived, holding Urumasa

"You are preoccupied." He stated. "Now is not the time for our duel."

"Fine, piss off!" Jayden said angrily. "We can live without..."

"The Green Ranger is already in the Netherworld." He interrupted him. The Rangers all looked at him in horror. "I took him there at his request. He has approximately half an hour left before he will be unable to return."

Just then, Antonio arrived. He was smiling, something they weren't expecting under the circumstances.

"I have an idea!" He told them. "Come on!"

Back in the Netherworld, Mike was finding himself under pressure. True to his word, no one was interrupting the battle between Mike and Multi-face.

Multi-face grabbed him around the throat and drove him through the deck into the bowels of the ship. Mike got back to his feet slowly as the others arrived.

"You made a big mistake Green Ranger!" Multiface stated. Mike just snorted.

"Did I?" He asked, before driving his word through the hull of the ship. Moogers rushed to quell the flood as it came in. Mike just held his sword point-down

"I don't care what happens to me, I'll scuttle the whole fucking ship!" He snarled. Xandred coud tell by the look in his face he was serious. "Come back to the mortal realm or I swear I'll take the whole ship to the bottom of the river!"

"GO!" Xandred snapped.

With that, they were both sent to the real world.

As they arrived, the others were waiting.

"Body swarm!" he Nighlock stated, but he found himself unable to do it. "I said..."

"No point, we marked you!" Mike replied. "You can't scatter"

"But..."

"You have no right to complain coward!" Mike snapped. "Stand back guys, I'll tak care of this myself!"

He pulled out his samuraizer and traced a symbol in the air, before casting it. The Nighlock screamed in agony as a tree grew through him, impaling him. As it grew outwards, the Nighlock was torn apart, exploding in a ball of flame. Lights scattered in all directions as the spirits he had stolen returned to their rightful owners.

"One more tree, one less Nighlock!" Mike said coldly. "That's the kind of maths I like."

"It's not over yet." Jayden responded as Multiface returned as a mega monster. "But this time we'll take him together!"

"How?" Mia asked. "Without Emily we can't form the megazord!"

"Let me worry about that." Antoinio replied as he pulled out his morpher. "Alright clawzord, it's time for your big moment!"

In another city, Serena was watching the guards movements in the museum, looking for a window of opportunity as she used one of Hayley's devices to pick the lock on the window. Hayley had already assured her that she had taken care of the alarm. Once it was open, she waited for her opportunity, before launching herself into the air. She accomplished two goals at once, breaking her fall and also taking out a guard as she landed on him, knocking him unconscious with a harsh blow to the back of the head. She knelt over him, checking no one had heard her.

"Sorry buddy." She whispered as she dragged him behind a statue. "Alright Hayley, I'm in."

"Find the sword." Hayley told her.

"Wow, I thought you were meant to be the angel on my shoulder or something." Serena said sarcastically.

"I've dealt with the cameras and the alarm, the rest is up to you." Hayley responded. Serena just made her way through the museum to an exhibit, a glass case holding a katana in a patterned, black scabbard. She lifted the case, taking the sword from the exhibit.

"I've got it." Serena told her. She pulled the sword from the scabbard, the blade making a little rasp as it came free for possibly the first time in centuries. Serena sighed as she saw the signature on the blade.

"It's a true Masamune." She told Hayley. "It isn't what we're looking for."

It was then that she noticed something odd, a strange symbol etched into the collar of the scabbard. She placed the sword aside, and gripped the collar, finding a hidden switch in it. She removed the collar, finding a small, hidden compartment in the scabbard, only a few millimetres across, which housed a parchment. She pulled it out and read it. "Hayley, I might have found a clue."

"A good thief doesn't stop to count his purse." Hayley replied. "The sword is worthless..."

"According to the sign it's worth about 10 million." Serena corrected her.

"It's worthless for our cause, the parchment isn't." Hayley replied. "Put the sword back and get back to the motel. We'll check out the parchment there."

"Alright." Serena replied. She replaced the Masamune back in its scabbard and replaced it on the exhibit, closing the glass case. She looked around, watching for guard, before running up the wall and launching herself back to the skylight, and hauling herself up to the roof, escaping into the night.

Emily woke up with Mike waiting over her, and smiled. She had no doubt that he would be the first face she would see.

"What time is it?" She asked.

"Don't worry, it's still your birthday." He replied. "Many happy returns by the way."

"The Nighlock..."

"He's gone." Mike assured her, taking her hand softly. "We took care of him."

"But..."

"There was no way I was letting him take you." Mike told her. "I marched right onto Master Xandred's junk and dragged him back."

"You went into the Netherworld?" Emily asked him. "Mike, humans can't survive there! You could have..."

"If I didn't bring you back, I wouldn't have wanted to come back anyway." He told her, drawing her in and hugging her tightly. "You're the best of us Emily, you're the best thing that's ever happened to me. I couldn't let you go."

As he released her, she felt her heart beating faster as he just looked at her in that way that always made her feel amazing, like she was the only thing in the world that mattered.

"I have a confession to make." He told her. "I told the others."

"Mike..."

"They thought the same as me, they wanted to make it memorable." He assured her. "The party's still waiting."

"Mike, I..."

"I doubt they'll be interested in hearing excuses." Mike chuckled as he lifted her out of the bed in a bridal carry. "You're going."

"Well, you're the boss I guess." She replied with a smile, wrapping her arms around his neck.

He carried her through to the main room, where the others were waiting for her. Paper chains and banners were hanging, and there was a huge cake waiting for her. Her face lit up as they all came over.

"Happy Birthday." Jayden declared, hugging her first. "We were worrying you would miss the whole thing."

"I even baked a cake especially." Mia told her. She just laughed as she saw the look on Emily's face. "Only joking, I got it from the bakery. My cooking lessons haven't gotten THAT far!"

"They did extend far enough for a sea bass dinner." Antonio told her, putting an arm around Jayden's shoulder. "Caught fresh this morning by yours truly!"

"There is one more thing." Mentor Ji told her, presenting her with an envelope. "I know that I normally forbid contact with family, but it's not every day that a Samurai turns 18."

Emily took the envelope from him, her hand shaking as she recognised the handwriting. She didn't need to look inside to know it was from Serena. She ripped open the envelope, discarding it carelessly on the floor as she read it.

"Happy Birthday, try to remember some of it." She read aloud as her tears began. "Your beloved sister Serena."

Mike held her closely and comforted her as she broke down. He knew one of the reasons this was so hard was because she missed her family so much, that was why he wanted to show her that she had a family right here with the Rangers.

"Alright, before we get too mushy, who's up for a Nacho starter?" Antonio asked. The Rangers all cheered as they went to the table to begin the celebration not only of Emily's Birthday, but of the fact that the heart of the team had been returned to them. As she began, Emily looked to Mike and smiled. He had quite literally gone to Hell and back for her. She couldn't imagine being with anyone else.

Meanwhile, Serena arrived back in her motel room, finding a bottle of champagne and a glass waiting.

"I took the liberty." Hayley told her over the earwig. "I figured you deserved it."

"Thanks." She replied, popping the cork. She got a scanner, and started to scan the parchment as she took a sip. "I'm sending the parchment as we speak."

"It's another clue." Hayley replied. "It isn't much of a clue, it just says this isn't the blade you seek, this is a blade of Masamune, a quite mundane though admittedly fine sword."

"So we just wasted our time." Serena replied sarcastically as she finished her glass. "I risked a felony arrest for nothing."

"We do know one thing at least." Hayley replied. "It isn't this Masamune."

"How many are there?" Serena asked. "He was one of the most legendary swordsmiths..."

"There are only seven still in existence." Hayley assured her. "According to legend, Masamune was more than a swordsmith, he was also a mystic. Nothing he did was without purpose. If his blades lasted, then that was not by coincidence."

"So I need to check out every Masamune there is?" Serena sighed. "So much for a one-off mission."

"I'll have your plane tickets to you by the morning." Hayley told her. "The next one is in Italy."

Fin.


End file.
